Hi everyone,
I sort of happened upon this site by accident and found it so informative it was an easy decision to register.
I've been interested in photography from the age 0f 14 ( a long time ago now)! My first "proper" camera was a Zorki 4k followed by a Zenith E and then an Olympus OM1n which was/still is an absolute gem.

Finally converted to digital about 10 years ago and currently use a Fuji S9600 bridge camera and (until it recently died) a Fuji E9000 compact.

So, I'm currently looking at replacing the E9000 with a quality compact which led me to this great site.

jameswilby5, I tried out the Sony HS55 and the Panasonic TZ8 and decided that neither was for me. After a short wait I also managed to get hold of a Canon SX130is to try out. First impressions were goodish in terms of overall handling compared to the others and so I bought it. However, after a week of what seemed like disappointing results to me, I returned it.

I am now looking at premium compacts and trying to justify the extra outlay necessary to myself ( and the GF ) before making a final decision.

I am sorry to hear you didn't like the canon camera. I was going to suggest it as have seen some very good reviews for it. I personally have rarely used my compact since I got my 550d. As you have a bridge camera are you sure you need a compact?

If you need one that will fit in your pocket why not have a look at the Canon PowerShot S95. Its cost more but is well worth the extra money as it gives you more control over the picture.

The S9600 is much the same size as an average DSLR hence the need for a go anywhere compact.

The S95 is on my shortlist and has some excellent features that I really like. But, my main problem is that I need glasses for reading which is a real pain when using a camera with no viewfinder. An optical viewfinder isn't that much of an advantage either as one still has to refer to the screen when making camera settings.

Hence, I'm coming to the conclusion that my best ( perhaps only ) choice is the LX5 + the optional EVF.